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USAF grounds KC-135 Stratotanker fleet over concerns their tails may fall off mid-flight

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The U.S. Air Force has ordered its entire fleet of KC-135 tankers to be grounded for inspection over concerns that their tails could fall off mid-flight if not properly fixed. The USAF ordered the inspections on Tuesday for a "non-conforming part in the vertical tail assembly." Flight operations are restricted until the roughly 30-minute inspection is complete. (www.foxnews.com) More...

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PegLegJim
Jim Welch 5
Saw one fly in & out of our field today, and it sure didn’t appear to be grounded as they rotated!
yr2012
matt jensen 4
Sad. The USAF can't find a replacement in 20 yrs.
avionik99
avionik99 2
I thought the AF was buying Boeing 767 conversions?
yr2012
matt jensen 3
They did and just ordered more of them.
https://dcnewsroom.blogspot.com/2023/01/air-force-orders-15-more-kc-46a-pegasus.html

almacdonald18
But the recent orders for the KC-46 are to replace the KC-10A's which are being/have been retired. Then, maybe when that action is completed we will see some more 60+ years old KC-135 being laid to rest in sunny Arizona. We thank them for their service.
royhunte92
Roy Hunte 2
The KC46 has a reliability problem.

If they would have ordered the joint Lockheed Martin/Airbus offering of the KC30 as well, they might have had a backup plan.

[This poster has been suspended.]

[This poster has been suspended.]

Neil49
Neil49 3
FlightAware used to be a valuable source for useful articles -- what happened?

More and more, it's just click-bait headlines from the usual pipelines directed to low-information readers. Whether it's Fox News Flash Headlines, msn.com, aeroexplorer.com, or whatever, give us a break!
blackstock
FlightAware 'Squawks' are community driven. You have the power share things important to you and to change the direction of the postings.
tinknockers
Dan Brooks 2
I;m sorry, I am a "low-information reader". I am trying to learn about the world of aviation. I didn't have the luxury of being taught the ins and outs in the service. What's wrong with a person that wants to expand their horizons? You sound fat..
jeffinsydney
jeff slack 1
Sadly, this is a reflection of the intelligence of the community; like US politics it is in decline.
WatnNY
WatnNY 2
I haven't heard of a single tail falling off of a KC-135!
OccamsRazor
Ben Bosley 1
Inspection for a non-conforming part. Another sensationalist headline from Fair and Balanced.
belzybob
belzybob -1
Foxnews...says it all.

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